Telephone substation apparatus



H. w. PUGH. TELEPHONE SUBSTATION APPARATUS.

APPLICATIOP] FILED .OCT. 30, I919.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

//1 van/0r any W 4v 76 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFlCE.

HARRY W. PUGH, OI NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR '10 WESTERN COMPANY, INCORPORATED, 013 NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TELEPHONE SUBSTATION APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 80, 1819. Serial No. 384,454.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I HARRY W. PUGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of Bronx, State of New York, ave inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Telephone Substa- 1 tion- Apparatus, of whichthe following is a full, clear. concise, and exact description.

The invention relates to telephone substation apparatus and more particularly to submeasuring the telephonic service furnished at a substation and mechanism for controlling the automatic switches utilized 1n establishing telephonic connection. The service measuring or evaluating-mechanism may take the form either of a message reglster or counter, or a coin-handling mechanism designed to collect coins in payment for the service furnished. The mechanism for controlling the automatic switches usually takes the form of the well-known impulse sender of calling dial. I

The invention contemplates a very compact and convenient arrangement of appa-' ratus at a substation for performing the functions above outlined, and an apparatus which in addition to its compactness and convenience is constructed to prevent tampering with the service-evaluating mechanism.

In accordance with the invention, the service-evaluating mechanism is inclosed in a substantial casing in order to revent unauthorized access thereto; and t e impulsesending mechanism is mounted on the exterior of the casing to permit the operation thereof by the subscriber.

The, mounting of the impulse-sending mechanism on the exterior of the casing involves an aperture or apertures in "the casing; first for the attachment of screws or bolts, and also to permit the electrical connection of the contact springs of the impulsesending mechanism in operative relation with the rest of the substation mechanism which is included within the casing. The invention, however, provides means for preventing access to the service-evaluating mechanism through the aperture occasions by the mounting on the casing of the impulse-sending mechanism. This means in one embodiment of the invention takes the form of a shield which is interposed between the aperture or apertures in the easmg and the service-evaluating mechanism.

It is desirable both for the convenience of the ,user and convenience in making the necessary adjustments to the impulsesendmg, mechanism that it be mounted in a position on the casing ,where it will be on or about the level of the eyes of the telephone user. The invention, therefore, contemplates the mounting of the impulsesending mechanism on the casing just above the transmitter, which, as is usual, is mounted at about the level of the mouth of the average user. Since the impulse-sending mechanism involves the rather complex governor and set of contact springs,*in accordance with the invention it is so mounted that this part of the mechanism extends within' the casing so that the shield which prevents unauthorized access to the service-evaluating mechanism serves another useful purpose, especially where the service-evaluating mechanism is the usual coin-collecting mechanism, in that it prevents coins thrown out of the coin chute of the coin-collecting mechanism from impinging on and interfering with the operation of the mechanism of the impulsesending device.

In the drawing, Figs. 1 and 2 are the side and front elevations respectively, partially in section, of so much of a substation apparatus as is necessary for the understanding of the present invention. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the service-evaluating mechanism 'is in the form of a coin collector and may be in all respects similar to that disclosed in Patent #1943219 to O. F. Forsberg, granted November 5, 1912. The impulse-sending mechanism, although it may be of any usual construction, is as shown on the drawing, similar to that disclosed in Patent #1,161,- 854 to O; F. Forsberg, granted November 30, 1915. For the sake of clearness, the maj or portion of the complicated coin-handling mechanism is omitted from the drawing. This mechanism which may be that of the Forsberg patent above-mentioned, is with the exception of the coin chute, mounted upon the base 1 and is entirely enclosed in a heavy sheet metal casing 4, from the upper wall of which is supported the coin chute PatentedwFe-b. 14, 1922.

coin-receiving guide 5 is mounted on the exterior of the casing opposite the upper end of the coin chute. Mounted'in an aperture 9 in the front of the casing is the impulsesending mechanism 10 which is provided with the. usual governor shown at 12, and contact springs 11 projecting within the casing. As clearly indicated in Fig. 2 this mechanism is mounted above and in vertical alignment with the transmitter 2, which is supported from a bracket 8 also mounted on the exterior ofthe casing. The receiver 26 is supported from the usual hook switch 25, which is also carried by the base 1. The coin chute 13 is provided witha number of apertures, one of which is indicated at 6, which apertures are so proportioned and arranged that spurious or undersized coins in passing down the coin chute are automatically ejected from the chute by gravity. These rejected coins are prevented from striking the contact springs 11 or other mechanism of the impulse-sending mechanism by means of a shield 14 which is supported from the upper wall of the casing 4. The side of the shield adjacent the coin chute is provided with a facing 15 which may be of cloth or felt. Inasmucha's the impulsesending mechanism 10 requires frequent adjustment, it is very advantageous to mount it so that it may be removed for adjustment or replacement. However, in order to prevent dishonest persons from obtaining access to the coin-handling mechanism for the purpose of manipulatingit to their advantage by removing the impulse-sending mechanism or a portion thereof, the shield 14 is so formed that, together with the guides 16 and 17 which ordinarily guide the rejected coins to the refund point, it substantially encloses or shields the coin-handling mecha- 1115111.

The contact springs 11 controlled by the impulse-sending device, are connected by a cord 18 including four conductors to the.

contact springs 20, 20, 20 and 20, which are mounted on a bracket 22 secured to the inner wall of the casing 4. The free ends of these contact springs make electrical contact with corresponding contacts 23, 23*, 23 and 23 mounted on the block 24 which is supported by the base 1, when the casing 4 is in place on the base 1. This arrangement per mits the removal of the casing without disturbing the permanent electrical connections to the impulse-sending device. As shown in the drawings the contacts 23, 23 23 and 23 are of difi'erent lengths and heights and consequently each engages a different one of the contact springs 20, 20", 20 and 20, which are arranged in pairs in stepped relation.

What is claimed is:

1. A telephone set comprising a casing, a coin handling mechanism. within said casing, a transmitter and ,receiver supported without said casing, an impulse-sending device mounted to partially extend within said casing and a shield interposed between said coin mechanism and said impulse sender.

2. A telephone set comprising a casing, a coin-handling mechanism enclosed therein, a

transmitter, a receiver, an impulse-sending coin-handling mechanism enclosed therein including means to collect and to reject coins, an impulsesending mechanism having a portion extendmg within said casing and a shield interposed between said coin-handling mechanism and said casing to prevent coins rejected by said coin-handling mechanism from interfering with said impulse-sending mechanism.

4. Telephone substation apparatus comprising a casing provided with an aperture, a coin-handling mechanism enclosed therein, an impulse-sending device mounted on the exterior of said casing, electrical terminals for said sending device mounted within said casing and accessible for electrical connection with said sending device through an aperture in said casing and means for preventing unauthorized access to said coinhandling mechanism through said aperture.

5. Telephone substation apparatus comprising a casing provided with an aperture, a coin-handling mechanism enclosed therein, an impulse-sending device mounted on the exterior of said casing, electrical terminals for said sending device mounted within said casing and accessible for electrical connection with said sending device through an aperture in said casing, and a shield interposed between said coin handling mechanism and said casing to prevent coins rejected by said coin-handling mechanism from interfering with said impulse-sending mechanism.

6. Telephone substation apparatus comprising a base, a coin-handling mechanism mounted on said base, a casing therefor supported from said base, an impulse-sending device and HARRY W. PUGH.

electrical terminals therefor mounted on said casing, cooperating termi- 

